bloodsport review
I’ve never written, produced or directed a film but I’ve put a good amount of thought into how it might work. I imagine the first step is to identify a target audience and work out what they might be interested in. You then work backwards to create a compelling story showcasing those elements. If that’s an accurate approximation of the movie-making process, than Bloodport might be the best film ever made. It knows exactly what it is, who it’s for and it tells its story with supreme confidence. In the late 80’s/early 90’s a case could be made that Van Damme was the biggest action star on the planet. Mileage will vary depending on your appetite for mindless action but the guy was bankable. Bloodsport represents the apex of his career. The film holds up in 2020 on the strength of exceedingly fun fight choreography one can actually follow, a simple but effective story, a catchy soundtrack and for taking the “fighters across the globe meet at an undisclosed location for a fight to the death” trope and making it at least seem plausible. I’m not saying the Kumite is a real thing, but the Kumite within Bloodsport is shot in such a way that it comes across as a documentary rather than just people fighting. It’s not high art (and it’s not trying to be) but for my money the final battle between Frank Dux and Chong Li is up there with Rocky/Drago, Kenobi/Vader and Bruce Leroy/ShoNuff. OK USA!
Bloodsport is a classic that just gets better with each viewing. 10/10.